Hercules & Love Affair Make Donatella Versace Get Down

LONDON — In an autumnal relay-race of London art and design — Architecture Week, Fashion Week, Design Week and finally the Frieze Art Fair — we've come to the end.

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Part of the international art fair, which closed yesterday, included two specially curated nights of Frieze Music culminating with a haunting candlelit performance in Shoreditch Town Hall by harpist Baby Dee supported by UK contemporary experimental act The Elysian Quartet. But it was Friday's performance, by cosmic disco powerhouse Hercules & Love Affair, that truly had the paint peeling at London Club Debut.

A gender blending performance of sweaty sparkly disco and trannie house arias, the five member group from NY, led by producer Andy Butler, ignited a disco house revival in 2008 with Pitchfork's song of the year "Blind" and a NY Times chart topping debut album.

Their new album Blues, comes out just after the New Year and includes vocals by Kele from Bloc Party and tracks by German techno producer Patrick Pulsinger, as well as a piece commissioned by Chanel. We caught up with Andy Butler in Rome, before he kicks off a European tour with The Gossip, to ask about who's in, who's out and what's up with the trans-Atlantic love affair with London's underground disco scene.

ELLE: Are we going to get a taste of your new album at tomorrow's show in London?ANDY BUTLER: Absolutely! We'll be doing about 3/4 of the new record at the party. There's an inclination to call them parties because they feel like parties, which is what we always wanted. There's a whole other energy in the crowd. It's a get down frenzy. We beefed up the sound on the new album, it's more aggressive, unhinged. It percolates!

ELLE: Will we see some new players and missing faces?AB: Nomi's is busy launching her projects but it'll still be Kim Ann (Foxman-vocals) and Mark (Pistel-producer) and we have two new vocalists, both of which are trained dancers. Ballet and classical, vogue and African. It contributes to the dancing vibe.

ELLE: One of which is Aerea Negrot.AB: Yeah, I met her once in Berlin and was taken by her interest in opera. After that I was desperate to find her. I looked everywhere, Panorama Bar... asked a dozen people I knew in Berlin and just couldn't get anywhere. But in the end it was a friend there, who being a New Yorker and total networker, got me her number within hours.

ELLE: I understand you played the fashion circuit this season too?AB: Yeah, the Versace party in Milan was really fun! Fashion events can be a tough crowd, you're more like an afterthought, but this party, it was a total get-down. Even Donatella was out there.

ELLE: You've had an ongoing affair with the gay club scene here in London. Joining forces with Horse Meat Disco and starting a massive revival two years back.AB: London has always been the warmest reception. The critics are beastly, but we had such a fervent reaction, then just a tidal wave of hype.

ELLE: Can you give us a taste of what we're in for on Friday?AB: Well, I'm including a break dance classic, kind of obscure by Connie. It's a funky little beat called "Rock Me." Lots of live sequencing, drum machines. We're basically going to throw down; it's going to be eupohoric!